


Let's Watch a Movie

by terryreviews



Series: Daniel's Broken Silence [2]
Category: Vampire Chronicles - Anne Rice
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-17
Updated: 2019-03-17
Packaged: 2019-11-19 14:50:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18137168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/terryreviews/pseuds/terryreviews
Summary: Now that Daniel's silence has been broken, there is a slow, but there, movement towards adjustment and normalcy. That includes bonding with Marius. Daniel had often set up the VHS players for Armand, why not set one up and watch a movie with Marius?





	Let's Watch a Movie

**Author's Note:**

> This work has been written for my buddy Hiki. It involves some of their personal headcanons of Daniel and Marius, centered around the time that Daniel was mute and living with Marius. In this story, a sequel to "your city has grown", Daniel's silence has been broken and he's on his own path to healing. Including bonding with Marius on a more personal level rather than a caregiver and charge. Some of these personal things included the use of beds like mortals and the desire for them to simply sit down and watch a film.
> 
> I'm honestly having fun writing for these characters and want to write at least one more piece for this mini-series, so we shall see.

Most vampires, if they had means, would have a bed. For several reasons, but mainly because that was what was expected in a home and it helped the deception.

It also offered a sense of comfort and privacy. At least it did for Daniel. Daniel had slept in a coffin, in dark basements, but even in his euphoria of his new vampirism when it was first gifted, and now in his more mad, state, he preferred beds.

A bedroom, no windows, and a sturdy door with an even sturdier lock was prepared when Marius moved Daniel in with him.

Unlike Marius’s room, with personal items like trinkets collected over time, books he was in the middle of reading on the nightstand, Daniel’s room was left with whatever Marius put in there for him (such as paintings on each wall of the same garden in different seasons) or the large snow globe Armand had sent that had a simplistic San Francisco inside. There was also a bed.

Daniel, when asked about the color, gave no serious consideration and left it to Marius. The only thing that mattered was that a bed was supplied.

As Daniel didn’t care about the color, or the type of mattress, or any other facet of the bed aside from having it, Marius chose colors that he felt suited the man (and his own personal tastes). As such, the blankets and sheets were of a high quality, breathable cotton in a set of shades of red and black. Accented by pillows with embroidered designs, resting on larger, plush, pillows with black or red covers. Elegant and dark. Simple and tasteful. Suitable for Daniel in any case who liked to pretend he was mortal and curl up in it.

Some nights, Daniel wouldn’t work on his model, or be coaxed outside to sit in the garden, or to go for a walk, as Marius could get him to do. No, some nights Daniel just wanted to lay in bed in a tee shirt and boxers, like a mortal having a lazy day. While Marius tended to leave him alone when he was having one of those nights, he would peek in and see Daniel, laying there. On top of the blanket, letting the fabric bunch in his exposed toes, hands folded on top of his chest with a pillow or two cradling his head, Daniel formed the perfect picture of relaxation. Marius never asked to join, nor was he invited.

Marius stood at a moderate piece of canvas, no image came to mind and the brush in his hand remained dry. It had been quite a bland evening. He’d collected a victim for Daniel, the young one ate and was now content in his model room, and Marius was left with no real ambition for the night. No image would come to his earnest brush, no book compelled him to turn the pages, and he’d already gone for a walk. No, not eventful.

With a sigh, he placed his brush down, ran a hand through his hair, and headed to Daniel’s model room.

–

“I see you’ve gotten the train up and running.” Marius nodded from his stool next to Daniel’s.

Daniel said nothing, but after a few years, Marius understood his moods, saw the joy swell inside his eyes, and the smile Daniel kept inside, Marius allowed himself to have outside.

“I’m glad you like it, Daniel. Truly. I think it really adds a wonderful feeling to your city. Especially since we’ve added another table.

The quiet was punctured but the sound effects box of the train, chugging and whistles as it wound its way under a custom made bride and through a little forest. Daniel was currently carving and painting several trees. From the looks of it, was planning to expand the little woods he’d made on the first table he’d gotten.

The morning was not far from then. Two hours or so. There were several times when Daniel would allow himself to fall into his death sleep at his table, knowing he’d find himself in his bed the following night.

There was something familiar, comforting, in putting Daniel to bed nearly every morning. Almost like the ritualistic tending of the shrine, to a far lesser degree, from the previous centuries. Occasionally met with resistance like with a child, other times a word or two would prompt a tired shuffling, and the times Marius would carry him once he was asleep. But never the less, he would be in his bed, the door would be locked, and Daniel would be safe for another evening. What type of morning would this one be?

About an hour from sunrise and Daniel, while he’d be awake up to the actual rising of the sun due to the strong blood in his viens, drooped. His eyes lazed about following the train, and a barely there smile ghosted over his lips.

Marius, at this point, alternated between watching Daniel and flipping through a magazine he’d picked up on the way home during his walk. He was surprised when it ended up on the floor.

His heart skipped a beat as he felt the more supple body press against his marble-esc form. Arms wrapped around his neck, with a face buried into his chest. The warmth of the kill nearly faded from Daniel, arms cool against Marius’s skin.

“Daniel?” He glanced down, carefully wrapping his arm around the man’s back, as he settled into Marius’s lap.

“I think we should watch a movie together.”

Daniel had been doing better. As the years rolled along, his expressions warmed, his actions more focused and passionate, and his sentences lengthened, but this? To not only speak, but to actively seek physical comfort?

“Are you well, Daniel?”

Violet eyes turned up towards his, “we should watch a movie together,” Daniel repeated. “You like movies?”

Ah. Don’t acknowledge. Understood Daniel.

“While it isn’t my favorite pastime, I like to watch a few every now and again.” No doubt Daniel could feel the thrum of Marius’s heart, sense the excitement and hope bubbling forth in his…friend? Keeper?

“Tomorrow, come watch a movie with me in my bed. You have a tv, I saw it. We could set up a tape player. If you don’t have one, we could get one.”

“What would we watch?”

“Not sure yet,” Daniel looked away, nuzzling back into Marius’s chest, “but not Time Bandits.”

Marius was too stunned to laugh. A joke? Daniel joked!

“No, of course not,” he ruffled Daniel’s hair and with ease, picked him up. “We can decide tomorrow. For now, the sun is coming and I’m feeling a bit drowsy.” His shoes made distinctive clicks as he carried Daniel to his bedroom

The man said nothing, but his eyes were full of…something. Something on the cusp of…life… Marius supposed.

With care, he plopped Daniel into the bed. He was in his jeans and tee shirt, but that hardly mattered as he was already beginning to drift. Besides, no different than when he was a mortal after all.

“I shall see you tomorrow,” with a kiss to the forehead, Marius swept from the room, locked the door, and resisted running as he went down the hall to where the phone resided on a stand.

Armand did not pick up, but he left a brief message. Once he hung up, he made his way to his crypt and as he climbed into the sanctuary of his coffin, he couldn’t wait for tomorrow evening.

\---

Marius did have a VHS player tucked away in its box. Brand new, expensive. He’d had them before in the shrine, but for his own personal use? Not really, the odd film in the theater tended to be enough. Walks, books/magazines, painting, music, enough to fill his time and mind.

Daniel set it up, as if by muscle memory, to a modest tv propped up on the dresser in front of the bed.

“Armand used to have me set them up before he knew how to do it,” he mumbled as he plugged in the numerous wires into their ports.

“Did you watch a lot of movies together?” Marius knew part of the answer.

Without looking up Daniel said, “yeah.”

During a moment of lucidity during Daniel’s lunacy, the young one found and sent along film cels to Armand with  small note _thought you’d like these._ They were from Time Bandits. When Marius asked, he said “it’s Armand’s favorite movie.” A rare spur of the moment for Daniel, before he lapsed back into sullen silence.

Marius, at the man’s prompting, wore a comfortable outfit. Daniel opted for a tee shirt and boxers, while Marius had to go out and buy baggy drawstring pajama bottoms and used one of his softest undershirts for the top.

He laid back against the pillows, legs stretched out, it was quite comfortable.

With a few clicks, Daniel came to the bed, remote in hand.

“Good to go.” With a little jump, he landed, making the bed bounce and Marius smile.

“And what will we be watching?” The previews began coming on. Several classic films of the horror genre being released in newer, sleeker, cases that all had similar themes were being promoted with dramatic voice over.

“I felt like watching something…ironic,” Daniel answered slowly, and looked towards Marius, “I hope that’s okay?”

“That’s fine. But, what did you choose?” Suddenly, the main theme of Swan Lake came from the speakers, and for a moment Marius blinked at the screen before bursting into laughter. “Dracula?”

The blood from the earlier meal came to Daniel’s cheeks and he looked away sheepishly, before flinging himself onto Marius’ shoulder, “I know you haven’t seen it.”

“Oh? How do you know?” He felt Daniel shrug against him and adjusted so that Daniel’s head rested closer to his chest, his own arm wrapping around Daniel’s waist.

Daniel was right, Marius hadn’t seen the film. Not when it first came out, not in the many years since. It was delightfully ironic to be watching it, and the overacting or underacting given most of these performers were imitating stage performance, added to the charm. Dracula, for what was seen of him, was a good, intimidating figure and Bela Lugosi’s deep tones and accent added to his presence.

And to have Daniel, so warm (near boiling) with blood, pressing against him, in a comfortable quiet, gave Marius’s heart a giddy thrum. A talking, engaged, humorous Daniel, was better than morose, fixated, Daniel. Let alone the fact that he, in some part, seemed to be accepting and relishing some aspect of his vampirism enough to laugh about it.

It brought Marius back to the earlier days with Daniel, where Marius had to damn near force Daniel to feed. Either by bringing the victim to him or by bringing Daniel out. Occasionally, Marius would feed Daniel from his own veins as an act of pity and love. But more often, he stood with Armand’s decision to not coddle Daniel from this. Daniel chose to be a killer, he’d have to kill, plain and simple.

He recalled a particular hunt when Daniel almost refused to feed altogether, despite the hunger nearly driving him insane.

The evening had been hot, the stench of the city they were wandering in was pleasing and repulsive as the sweat and grime of the masses moved and bumped around them. Food in little stands sizzled on the corners and children ran around with high pitch shrieks, people wandered from bar to bar on wobbling feet proclaiming their love or itching for a fight.

Daniel followed, bleary-eyed, bumping shoulders with each and every passing mortal because he wouldn’t get out of the way, to which Marius had to take his hand and force him to move more fluidly. Eventually, as they went further past the hub of activity and into the darker recesses of narrower streets and cheap apartments, Marius found a victim.

Drunk, gruff, older, the man sat alone on his stoop, glaring at the few passers-by as the beer dribbled down his chin. An easy kill surely. One that would barely put up a fight. Good for Daniel who always had a problem either charming or subduing his victims once the screams started. Guilt was a powerful mistress, and Daniel courted her every time he sunk his fangs into flesh.

All it took was an inclination of the head, and Daniel’s eyes found the man. As if the fog were cleared, Daniel’s eyes grew sharp, lips tightened, teeth clenched, and he didn’t move.

“Daniel,” Marius touched his arm, and when Daniel went to pull away, he found himself caught in a vice-like grip around his wrist. The pure pleading, the desperation, in the tense expression that met Marius _almost_ made him cave. Yet, with a tug, he moved Daniel towards his supper. When Daniel looked once more over his shoulder at Marius, the older one crossed his arms, face stern, and Daniel reluctantly dragged the man into a secluded spot. The body Marius took care of. While he was gentler than Armand when it came to pushing Daniel, he still pushed. And if he didn’t, the hunger did.

The movie came to a close and Daniel got up to rewind the tape when he realized he forgot the batteries in the remote.

Daniel’s form, though quite lithe, was fairly attractive. True, he’d been malnourished and sickly when he’d been made, and traces of that could be seen in his features, the way his shirts were just a fraction larger than they should be, but overall, he’d come out of his benders between avoiding and begging for Armand fairly well.

“I shall have to paint you sometime,” he said, and Daniel glanced over his shoulder, before turning back to fiddle with another tape, almost bashful.

“Why not have painted me when I didn’t move for hours?”

“I like you better this way Daniel,” he replied and grinned at the bob of Daniel’s throat. “And I must say,” he continued, “I enjoy this more affectionate side of you. Cuddling together in the bed was a good idea. A mortal comfort,” Marius stretched for effect, “I’d not indulged in for quite a long time.”

“Glad to be of service,” Daniel gave a little bow, before ejecting the newly rewound Dracula and popping in another tape.

“Oh, are we going to watch something else?”

“Why not? Not like we don’t have the time,” Daniel replied before excusing himself to find some batteries for the remote in the other room.

“They should be in the kitchen! I have a junk drawer in there!” Marius called after him and the previews began rolling.

Marius shifted a few times in the bed, enjoying their softness against his hard skin and sighed. Oh, how pure and good it was to be here with Daniel. The awakened Daniel. At least this time, he didn’t have to wait centuries for him to speak.


End file.
